Most disposable diapers now manufactured and sold are provided with a pressure sensitive tape strip at each of the corners adjacent one end of the diaper for securing the diaper together at the waist of the child in the diapering process. One end portion of such tape is commonly attached to the back side of the diaper while the pressure sensitive adhesive surface on the other free end portion is covered with a strippable release-coated protective sheet which is removed from the tape when the diaper is applied to the child. While the protective strip can be simply stripped off and discarded, doing so is inconvenient. Accordingly it is preferred that the strippable protective sheet be arranged in such a manner that it will remain attached to the diaper in some way after the pressure sensitive adhesive on the free end portion of the tape is uncovered when preparing the tape for its fastening function. While there are several ways in which the latter is accomplished, in each instance, it requires a separate piece of material or a complicated structure, both of which add undesirably to costs.
This invention is directed toward a tape fastening system in which the element or releasable protective means which performs the function of the protective covering sheet is an integral part of the tape itself. Accordingly, there is no need to design an intricate attachment means for a separate protective sheet.